Every few days, I post musings, ideas, quotes, and mini-essays on writing, painting, and the creative process. I'm a professional freelance editor, pastellist, and novelist. I believe in supporting the creativity of all of us.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Getting your book out into the world

I came across the worksheet I created for a workshop last year. Thought some of you might find the questions useful in your work.

1. Describe your book project in detail (length, subject, genre, illustrated or text only, collaborators, self-publish).
2. Who is your target reading audience? (List all possible readers and markets; be specific).
3. Why are you writing this book? (List all reasons)
4. Estimate the number of people combined in #2 (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions)
5. What is the current status of your book project?
6. What obstacles, if any, are you currently facing with this project?
7. What has been your writing experience before this book?
8. How would you rate yourself as a writer?
9. How would you rate yourself as an expert in your field?
10. How would you rate the originality of your book idea?
11. Are you a good self-editor?
12. How important (1 to 10) is it to you to have an excellent product?
13. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
14. Do you plan to self-publish? What do you know about self-publishing today?
15. Do you plan to look for an agent or external publisher? What do you know about this process?
16. How important is it for you to have control over the content and look of your book?
17. What kind of time and money budget do you have for marketing your book?
18. What is your previous experience with marketing products or services?